Beyond Leaning In: What Readers are Saying

Amazon reviews | Goodreads reviews

“Ho’s prose is subtle and taut…the interpersonal dramas are well drawn and compelling. The author captures the way that colleagues interact: invariably polite on the surface while simmering underneath. What’s more, it makes Ho’s points in a way that a normal, prescriptive work of nonfiction could not. The characters easily embody the various perspectives, and they help readers see the situation from outside the blinkered viewpoint of a CEO. The result is an engaging evolution of Sheryl Sandberg’s “Lean In” mantra. A well-crafted instructional tale that explores gender in corporate America.”

— Kirkus Reviews [read the full review here.]

“What makes this book powerful is that it brings context to the many perplexing and confusing, if not downright painful, situations that women experience in the professional workplace. The closest comparison I can think of is that Ho’s book is like augmented reality. Point at a confusing situation you have experienced in the past and this book helps you create the 3-D model of why this occurred. It gives you an idea of how your experience fits into an overall pattern. Yet, it is also a no-blame narrative (so relax guys) that clearly explains the restrictive cage that most organizations become, literally crushing the spirit of those who do not historically “blend in.”

— The “Great Resignation” — We are Simply Exhausted From Trying to “Fit In”
A Review by Marie Cini, Provost and Chief Academic Officer, University of the People [read the full review here.]

“In Beyond Leaning In, Ho creates unforgettable characters and a compelling plot that takes us beyond Lean In to surface the systemic obstacles working women face. This important book helps women see the real structural challenges they face. It also challenges employers to be partners in bringing about meaningful change.”

— Mary Papazian, President emerita, San Jose State University

“Melanie Ho has brought the challenging nuances of advancing gender leadership while running a highly effective organization into focus. We can relate to, commiserate with, and learn from her characters— in a way that is more accessible and, frankly, more human, than from a traditional leadership book or corporate equity and inclusion training.”

—Chris Proulx, Global Director, Humentum

“A timely, readable, and powerfully important book for all leaders, especially now, when so many women are feeling pressure to re-evaluate their place in the corporate world, and even the workforce. If we can’t find a way to create more inclusive workplaces to retain talented young women, we will all feel the consequences.”

— Melanie Bowen, Chief Operating Officer, Mindoula

“Melanie Ho’s book makes you stop and think. It is unique—a workplace novel with characters who feel real, authentic and genuine and who are confronting hard and difficult situations. As a reader, I was constantly stopping and thinking about new concepts, all of which are grounded in research, and asking myself how can I as a leader create a better work environment for women, but also for men.”

—Scott Schirmeier, President, Technology and Partner Development, EAB Global

“I went into reading Beyond Leaning In skeptical of how different a novel would really be than an advice book. I was so wrong. I found myself unable to put Beyond Leaning In down, engrossed in the nuance, humanity, and depth of the characters and of its exploration of systemic inequity in the workplace. This book is both urgent and empathetic—I learned so much about work culture and about myself from reading it. I’m recommending it to everyone I know (and work with!).”

—Samantha Pinto, Associate Professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin

“Beyond Leaning In is a page-turning novel with compelling characters and storylines. It also seamlessly weaves in authentic and timely examples of how much further we have to go when it comes to achieving true gender equity in the workplace. It’s a must-read for anyone who aspires to be a leader, an ally, or simply wants a clearer sense of the hidden dynamics of professional life today.”

—John Hsu, Founder and Principal, NLN Solutions

“Beyond Leaning In is a business book for the future. By weaving essential equity research and concepts into a page-turning novel, Melanie Ho gives us the perspective and understanding we need to be true champions for intersectional equity in our workplaces and beyond.”

— Veronica LaFemina, Managing Director, Strategy and Planning, American Diabetes Association

“Beyond Leaning In is one of the best books I have come across addressing the challenging and complex issues of gender equity in workplaces. Each and every character brings to life issues that all of us can relate to in one form or another. The book can be used in college classrooms, HR departments, as well as boardrooms.”

— Jeet Joshee, Associate Vice President and Dean, California State University-Long Beach.

“Beyond Leaning In is a cautionary tale, a mystery story, and a practical fable for our times. By turning the fictional setting of a company in trouble into a laboratory for nimbler, more equitable models of corporate culture, Melanie Ho delights and instructs, and what she teaches will make organizations stronger.”

—David Schaberg, Dean of Humanities, UCLA

“Beyond Leaning In does an incredible job of showing the importance of intent vs. impact when it comes to workplace interactions and is an easily digestible way to comprehend some of the more nuanced issues around gender discrimination. It highlights well-intentioned but ultimately harmful choices that those in leadership can make. This book could easily be used in teams and among leadership to foster discussion on how to mitigate bias at work.”

— Rachel Murray, Co-CEO and Head of Community, She+ Geeks Out

“Dr. Ho tells a story that’s both captivating and mindset-shifting. Her book’s brisk plot meant that I couldn’t wait to pick up the characters’ threads every morning. And as I read along, I found myself thinking differently about my work, my colleagues, and the role of gender in the office.”

—Jeff Martin, Senior Director, EAB Global

“Beyond Leaning In truly goes beyond equity statistics and related annual reports—it paints a picture of real-life workplace dynamics, including gender equity, microaggressions and diversities you cannot see. From Board member to intern, it’s a necessary read.”

— Sydney Brown, Executive Coach and Corporate Consultant, S.E.B. Consulting

“Melanie Ho’s use of a fictional workplace and all of the different perspectives of those who work there helps us to grasp the complexities of diversity, equity and inclusion. Competing interests, cultural forces, lack of awareness are all aspects that make changing attitudes and behavior such hard work. The story is so engaging and fascinating, I had a hard time putting it down.”

— Lynne Schaefer, Vice President emerita, Administration and Finance, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

“There’s writing that is fun to read and writing that teaches you real, tactical things. The two types usually aren’t found on the same shelf, let alone in the same book. But this book is the rare exception. It helps you see the everyday ways in which inequity is alive and well in our workplaces (and, really, everywhere). Beyond making you aware of these patterns and practices that we’re all a part of, it also shares how to break out of them. And it does all of this by showing, not telling. You get rich, engaging (if infuriating) characters that feel all too real. To make any real, intentional progress on issues of inequity, we need to be willing to grapple with them. This book makes that tussle a little bit less daunting and a lot more enjoyable.”

— Karishma Furtrado, Founding Staff, Director of Data and Research, Forward through Ferguson

“In Beyond Leaning In, we see Ho’s cast of characters emerge from a cloud of unconscious programming to humility and a desire to learn. Ho takes readers on a journey and asks us to flex our empathetic muscles as we inevitably see parts of ourselves in each character. It beckons the question of not only ‘Where did they learn this belief’ but rather, ‘When and Where did I learn this?’’

— Huong Diep, PsyD, ABPP, Board Certified Psychologist and International Consultant

“Lean In tasked women with fixing the equity gap in the workplace!  Beyond Leaning In invites men and women to work together, to root out pathological thought patterns and envision a different path forward.”

— Liz Rothenberg, Managing Director, EAB Global

“Melanie Ho’s excellent novel is like a scarily realistic detective story, in which the victim is a formerly thriving business and the murderer turns out not to be some terrible villain, but all the well-meaning managers who haven’t fully recognized the way different genders and generations experience their workplace. As usual, a really good work of fiction conveys a serious human problem and its possible solutions much better than dutiful Diversity-Equity-Inclusion corporate training sessions. Watching the business’s decline from the viewpoints of many different employees offers a lively, fair-minded and illuminating insight about what’s needed for a company to thrive in the 21st century.”

— Robert N. Watson, Distinguished Professor of English, UCLA

“Beyond Leaning In models the insights, smarts, and empathy critical to understanding the gender inequities of contemporary offices—and how to get to a more equitable future. ”

— Joyce W. Lee, Associate Director, Stanford University

“Beyond Leaning In will make you re-examine your role in propping up inequity-promoting workplace habits. Full of teachable moments, this novel is also a pleasure to read. Required reading for people managers, Beyond Leaning In prepares readers to navigate fairly the assignment of tasks to interns, language choice in performance reviews, promotion criteria, and so much more.”

— Katherine Zellner, Deputy General Manager, 2U

“Drawing in the reader with fictional scenarios, Beyond Leaning In hones the reader’s ability to pinpoint problematic behaviors in real life. Several times daily I tell someone: ‘this scenario is in Melanie Ho’s book.’ Embracing Melanie’s lesson to not ‘bite my tongue,’ I am pushing myself increasingly to address troublesome actions to yield positive solutions.”

— Jen Scott, Vice President, Operations, POLITICO

"It is so powerful and eye-opening to 'live the experience' of women working at a company where there is so much room for improvement. The examples in the book ring so true - and they leave you with one clear conclusion. We all have to do way more to change the environments we work in."

— Zachary Stillerman, Healthcare Executive; former President, Precision Xtract, Precision Medical Group

The endorsements listed on this page represent the views of individuals, not their organizations.